Midsummer Night's Dream

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays and there’s probably hardly a day when it isn’t performed somewhere in the world. In other words, there’s quite a lot of competition (two others at the Fringe alone) and it’s always worth asking the question as to whether we need yet another version. Fortunately, this production from Eagan High School in Minnesota has a great deal going for it.The performance begins with a rapid précis of the story, done in dance and mime. In fact, dance is used quite a lot within the production, primarily for the fairies. Puck, in particular jumps and somersaults constantly – he rarely leaves the stage by just walking off.In some ways, this is quite a dark production. Oberon, played by Javier Ferreira, certainly doesn’t seem like the sort of person it’s wise to cross, although he does take pity on the lovers. The Duke of Athens also seems to be a little more autocratic than he sometimes appears in other productions.Bottom (Will Cox) is excellent. He portrays exactly the sort of person who believes, with no justification whatsoever, that he can do anything better than anyone else. If he could, he would take every part in the rustics’ play. James Gage is a wonderful Puck. He leaps around, jumps and falls and is the centre of attention whenever he is on the stage. He looks very mischievous, but not in a totally attractive way. It’s easy to see him doing something very unpleasant, ‘just for fun’.The costumes, particularly for the fairies, are superb – extremely fancy and colourful and probably just what Shakespeare would have had in mind. Very good and very enjoyable.